Table 4.

Model coefficients for the simple mediation analysis of the association between duration of paternal leave and father-infant bonding through weekly hours spent on childcare including six confounders.

		Consequent
		M (Weekly hours spent on)				Y (Father-infant bondingb)
				childcare)
Antecedent		Coeff.	SE	p		Coeff.	SE	p
X (Duration of paternal leavea)	a	1.258	0.550	0.022	c'	−0.700	0.353	0.048
M (Weekly hours spent on childcare)		—	—	—	b	0.059	0.035	0.090
C1 (Current status of paternal leave)	f1	5.306	1.731	0.002	g1	0.176	0.934	0.851
C2 (Part-time work during paternal leave)	f2	2.470	1.680	0.141	g2	−1.822	1.151	0.115
C3 (Duration of solo paternal leaveb)	f3	1.380	0.792	0.083	g3	0.379	0.428	0.377
C4 (Age)	f4	−0.338	0.132	0.012	g4	0.122	0.082	0.137
C5 (Education)	f5	−2.717	1.157	0.019	g5	−0.666	0.708	0.347
C6 (Partnership satisfactionc)	f6	−0.096	0.148	0.518	g6	0.208	0.087	0.018
Constant	iM	37.077	5.356	< 0.001	iY	105.218	3.154	< 0.001
		R2 = 0.132				R2 = 0.053
		F(7, 373) = 6.158, p < 0.001				F(8, 372) = 2.073, p = 0.038

Simple mediation analysis using ordinary least square regression. Heteroscedasticity consistent standard errors (HC3) employed. N = 381. Outliers and extreme values excluded. X, predictor variable; M, mediator variable; Y, outcome variable; C₁₋₆, confounders; a, effect of X on M; b, effect of M on Y; c', direct effect of X on Y, estimates the difference between X and Y holding M constant; f₁₋₆, effects of C₁₋₆ on M; g₁₋₆, effects of C₁₋₆ on Y; Coeff., unstandardized path coefficients. Significant associations (p < 0.05) are in boldface.

^aSum of all paternal leave periods in months until T3.

^bSum of all paternal leave periods in months that the father took on his own, i.e., not parallel to maternal leave, until T3.

^cShort version of the Partnership Questionnaire (“Kurzform des Partnerschaftsfragebogens”, PFB-K).

^dPostpartum Bonding Questionnaire (PBQ); reversed items so that higher scores indicate a higher level of father-infant bonding.